Eliminating Tax Subsidies in 34 States would Result in Millions of Uninsured and Thousands of Preventable Deaths, Public Health Amicus Brief Argues in King v. Burwell
WASHINGTON, DC (January 29, 2015)—On March 4, the U.S. Supreme Court will hear oral arguments in King v. Burwell, a landmark case that takes aim at President Obama’s Affordable Care Act (ACA). The ruling, expected sometime in June, will decide whether low and moderate income people living in the 34 states that rely on the federal health insurance exchange will still be able to get the subsidies they need to make health insurance affordable. A public health “friend-of-the-court” brief filed in the case yesterday argues that if the Court strikes down the subsidies, such a ruling would leave millions uninsured and ultimately could result in more than 9,800 preventable deaths every year. (Read more)

New HHS Family Planning Guidelines Form a Basis for Nationwide Efforts to Further Strengthen Care at Community Health Centers
A new report issued by the Geiger Gibson/RCHN Community Health Foundation Research Collaborative and the Jacobs Institute of Women’s Health, both part of Milken Institute School of Public Health (Milken Institute SPH) at the George Washington University, examines the potential impact of comprehensive federal guidelines aimed at improving the quality of family planning services on the nation’s community health centers. The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), which oversees the health centers program, was extensively involved in the development of the guidelines, along with highly experienced front-line health center clinicians. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services Office of Population Affairs issued the guidelines in April 2014. (Read more)

Women Remain Underrepresented in Medical Science, New Report Says
WASHINGTON, DC (March 3, 2014)—Two decades after a landmark law mandating the inclusion of women in biomedical research, sex-specific research is still not the norm, according to a new report. As a result, many women receive recommendations from their doctors for prevention strategies, diagnostic tests and medical treatments based on research that has not adequately included women or reported results on women.

Evidence of these practices exists at the same time diseases such as lung cancer, heart disease, Alzheimer’s and depression are disproportionately affecting women, raising questions about the impact of current science on women’s health. (Read more)